The In Between
by RobinSparkelz
Summary: ...And despite the ring that resides on her slender finger. She has never felt more single than now. Because he may have marked his territory, but he hasn't staked his claim. A Sasuke&Sakura story. Post-Canon.
1. Chapter 1

**The In between.**

**Chapter 1.**

_**By: RobinSparkelz**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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><p><em><strong>...And despite the ring that resides on her slender finger. She has never felt more single than now. Because he may have marked his territory, but he hasn't staked his claim. A Sasuke&amp;Sakura story. Post-Canon.<strong>_

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><p>.<p>

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Sakura wakes up - alone, the right side of her bed is cold and undisturbed except for the few creases her hand has made in the silky silvery sheets, as it extended subconsciously to the empty side, grasping for something, futilely.

Slowly she retracts her extended arm, the emerald on her left hand snagging the sheets as it drags across the fabric, it blinks at her as the beam of light slipping through her sloppily closed blinds refracts, into a tiny green prism against grey, and she thinks that she has never felt more alone.

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She likes to remind herself that he stayed, just for a year but he stayed, helping rebuild a broken village, a broken bond, a broken heart, but Konoha she muses, as she stirs her _black, black _coffee, because she relishes in the bitterness against her tongue, will never be enough for Sasuke-kun, and maybe even after all this time, and despite everything, she will never be either.

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The hospital is confining, healing a broken arm or prescribing flu medicine, is _not _why she became a medic nin, but she supposes, with the shinobi worlds new found peace, she will have to get used to it.

Still though, she misses the adrenaline that courses through her system and the burn of chakra in her veins and because she's damaged to, she misses the blood that stains her fingers and the feeling of cutting through flesh, because Sakura may be a healer, but she is a Ninja first.

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"You don't look well" Ino tells her, when she visits the blonde at the Yamanaka flower shop to purchase flowers for her _empty, empty_ home - red roses or maybe they are actually white roses she thinks, drenched in crimson blood.

"Just tired Pig" she answers with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

Because while Sasuke is out in the world, trying to heal himself, she feels like she's in Konoha and slowly breaking.

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Six months, _six months and almost two days _later is when she feels his chakra approaching the large emerald green gates of Konoha, and maybe in another time she would have sprinted to the gates and launched herself into his embrace, but she is mad, mad at him, mad at how much she loves him, mad at herself for picking up his damn chakra signature like a well-oiled Sasuke detector, so she ignores his approaching presence, punches a crater through her office wall and still stops at the market to pick up a fresh box of tomatoes on her way home,_** and she hates herself for loving him.**_

He is in the shower, when she gets home, she can hear the spray of water despite being in the kitchen, because the apartment isn't big, not small, but spacious - perfect for _two people_ not one.

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Onigiri is his favorite, but she will not make it today, no, today she will be selfish, and she takes out the chicken fillets to thaw and sets

up the counter to cook.

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He is standing in the archway that leads from living area into the kitchen, she has yet to acknowledge his presence and for that, she is secretly proud.

"_Sakura_" but her name on his lips, in his sinful velvety monotone is enough to unravel her.

"Sasuke-kun" she acknowledges albeit a bit shakily.

Slowly she looks up from the colorful array of peppers before her to the man, she has promised to spend the rest of her life with.

And just like every time, its like she's seeing him for the first time, and her mouth goes dry.

Because he stares at her from under sooty eye lashes, his hair, still damp from the shower is unruly and sinfully ruffled, but what is worse she thinks is his bare chest and broad shoulders and his nin pants which hang deliciously low on his hips, and her eyes trace the half visible tattoo on his hip bone and she feels her pulse speed up, and heat sweep through her before she drags her gaze to meet his, but it is the ghost of a smirk on his lips that causes her to pick up the knife on the counter and continue chopping. _Arrogant jerk._

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With heat swirling through her body and her thoughts in disarray she doesn't notice him move until two strong arms cage her in on either side and she can feel his toned chest against her back and his damp locks against her neck.

"..Sasu- Sasuke-kun no don-"

She feebly protests as he nuzzle her neck his arms encircling her waist pulling her closer to his heat.

_**"Sa-ku-ra"**_ he drawls, as one of his arms loosen, only to slip under her shirt and across her toned stomach, and she can't help the sigh that escapes her lips as he kisses her neck. Her resolve crumbling completely.

She closes her eyes relishing in his presence, in his smell, in him, _**in Sasuke,**_ only to open them when he spins her around slamming her against the counter, his lips inches from hers.

"I missed you" he says.

His eyes boring into hers, soaking her in, and those words she thinks, those simple words mean more from Sasuke that anybody else.

And like he knew she would, she gives in.

She does not know how much he misses the feeling of her skin against his fingertips as he unbuttons her shirt, leaving a trail of fire behind. How much he missed her _**green, green eyes **_which darken as he slips her lacy black panties off... slowly. And her breathy moans as he kisses his way up her inner thigh, or the way her head lolls back to expose the slender column of her neck when he strokes her heat and licks her there.

She especially doesn't know how much he misses her soft petal pink lips, his tongue entwined with hers or the way she rakes her fingers across his back and yanks his hair when he fills her and how the cries of his name that fall from her lips undo him.

_**Sakura does not know how much Sasuke adores her and he doesn't know how to tell her either.**_

When Sakura wakes up, there is an arm around her bare waist and a pair of legs entangled in hers, and she smiles after a long time at the feeling of Sasukes face in the crook of her neck.

...And she wonders, if this time she will be enough.

He leaves three days later.

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_**Note:** In CELEBRATION of SASUSAKU being CANON. My OTP!This story was originally a one-shot, but I decided its going to be more of a drabble series chronicling the time between after the war until the conceiving of Sarada Uchiha « SasuSaku kid EEeeeeehhhh. One thing that bothers me is how Sasuke is still not a hundred percent there for Sakura :( This story is Canon but differences like the Yamanaka shop ect. Will be there. So just go with it. If however I made a HUGE mistake and the canon-verse is completely OOC tell me - I will attempt to fix it. Review please? Me loves you all for believing and sticking with Sasuke and Sakura for all these years and never losing faith._


	2. Chapter 2

**The In between.**

**Chapter2.**

_**By: RobinSparkelz**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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><p>.<p>

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Sometimes Sakura misses him, misses him _**so much**_ that it hurts and she feels like there's a gaping hole in her chest and then she can't help but remember her worst nightmare, can't help but remember the feeling of his hand crackling alive with a thousand arcs of lightning plunging through her, and the smell of her burning flesh and the sound of ripping skin and _**every**_ agonizing second of her shredded heart trying to beat.

Sometimes when she misses him, she can only remember the pain he has always so generously bestowed upon her _**over and over again.**_

But sometimes Naruto takes her out for ramen, and Ino brings her flowers and Shikamaru challenges her to a game of shogi, sometimes she visits Neji's grave with Hinata and practices taijutsu with Lee, and on those days the hole in her chest closes just a little bit and she feels alive again.

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She has not seen Sasuke in almost over a year, when she is deployed to Suna to train Shinobi in the ways of medical nin-jutsu.

"Sakura, the medic course that you'll be giving, will take about six months."

"Six months Shisou?" Sakura repeats incredulously, but she cannot help it, six months is a long time and if...if he came back and she wasn't here. She couldn't live with that.

"I...shisou" she fumbled for her words. "That's very long" she finally managed.

Tsunade surveyed her from where she stood, at the window of the Hokage building. Honey brown eyes unrelenting.

Agitated Sakura averted her eyes to look at Kakashi who was lounging lazily in his Hokage robes seemingly bored.

"Kakashi-sensei" she tried, her voice pleading to the man before her, "Isn't six months to long, you need me here" she said even though she knew it wasn't true.

The sixth Hokage sighed, she could already see his fingers twitch towards his discarded Icha Icha paradise book in longing.

"Sakura, six months isn't long and you'll probably spend eight months to a year in Kumogakure" he replied in a voice that dripped in disinterest.

But Sakura was caught completely off guard. "Kumo?" she breathed. Kakashi's visible eye widened before glancing at Tsunade reproachfully. "You didn't tell her" He muttered disapprovingly.

Tsunade shrugged, "Its not my job to brief her on her mission"

"Would someone" she said her agitation growing faster than usual with her two mentors "Tell me what the fuck my mission is?"

She was seething, her knuckles clenched tightly, white skin taught over muscle and bone. Her temper had become shorter and shorter the longer Sasuke stayed absent and it took all her will power not to smash her fist into Kakashi's table and blow the fucking thing into smithereens.

It was finally Tsunade who spoke, eyeing her ex-pupil warily."Five of the hidden villages have requested Konoha to provide their Shinobi with medical training, Shizune will be going to Kirigakure."

"Why can't I go to Kiri?" Sakura demanded. "Its nearer and you know I want to stay close to Konoha" she was highly irritated at this point, and some part of her brain knew that all of her arguments were weak and futile, but she was just so frustrated. And they _**knew**_ why she wanted to stay in Konoha they _**both**_ did.

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"I refuse this mission." She finally declared after almost an hour of back and forth with Tsunade and Kakashi.

"No!" She took a unconscious step back absolutely shocked that the thunderous no had come from none other than _**Kakashi**_.

"You will go to Suna for six months, return to Konoha for a week of debriefing and then make your way to Kumo...by the orders of the sixth Hokage." She felt stunned absolutely speechless as Kakashi's cool countenance completely disappeared, and it seemed as if he wasn't done.

"You" he said "Have worked to hard, to start pining over Sasuke like a twelve year old genin, you are better than that Sakura."

The office was absolutely still at Kakashi's surprising monologue, he never shared he's thoughts, usually letting things run it course, but this, this took all the fight out of Sakura, she slumped against his desk head bowed, bangs covering her absolutely tortured eyes.

"When do I leave" she asked in a small voice.

"A week" Tsunade answered, her voice subdued.

Sakura nodded, picking up the mission _folder_ on Kakashi's cluttered desk, before bowing and exiting the Hokages office.

Kakashi would find out tomorrow, he had to replace training ground 4 courtesy of Haruno Sakura.

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It felt strange to put on her Shinobi clothes, working in the hospital hadn't required it, and she hadn't realized how lost she felt without her fingerless gloves and her knee high boots. Donning her deep red dress the thigh high slits revealed the fish net stockings she wore under and the white sash that wrapped around her waist and hang down her side emphasized her waist. The dress revealed a tantalizing amount of flesh and unbidden the memory of Sasuke coming home to her in this very outfit infiltrated her mind, she'd had to buy a new pair of stockings after.

_**Sasuke she thought. Where are you**_.

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Suna was blistering, humid air assaulting her from every angle, as she walked through the village. The sandy ground crunched beneath her feet and her eyes roamed the circular buildings in various shades of beige. Suna was the polar opposite of Konoha's lush greenery, hardly a similarity in sight and maybe she thought that's exactly what she needed. New perspective, something to distract her from Sasuke's continuing absence. But still her mind never strayed far from her avenger.

She smiled politely at the ninja and civilians who bowed to her in respect. Haruno Sakura, part of the Legendary Sannin.

_**"...you are better than that Sakura."**_ Kakashi's words echoed in her head, he was right she was. A tiny bubble of guilt pooled in her stomach, she had not bothered greeting him before she left. She'd send him a letter she decided once she got settled.

The sweltering heat made her want to rip her clothes off. Six months in Suna, seemed to long already.

The guards at the entrance of the Kazekage tower bowed to her as she entered. "I'll escort you to Kazekage-sama" the one on the right said.

Nodding Sakura followed the sand shinobi to Gaara's office. Through the unfamiliar passages that would soon become familiar.

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One month into her stay in Suna, Sakura removed her engagement ring in a fit of anger throwing it so hard she embedded it into her bedroom wall. Because Uchiha Sasuke had been spotted four months ago on the borders of the Wind and Fire Country.

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_**Note**: The reviews to this story have been absolutely wonderful and all the follows, I hope this chapter meets your expectations - its more of a developmental chapter to future scenes and how Sakura is learning to live without Sasuke all over again. Reviews got you guys my fastest update :D_


	3. Chapter 3

**The In between.**

**Chapter 3.**

_**By: RobinSparkelz**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or Sasuke's ass would be in Konoha.

Note: The beginning of this chapter refers to the end of the previous chapter. Enjoy.

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><p>.<p>

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Sakura wakes up early her first morning in Suna, it is not that she wants to, but more the case of insomnia. She has dozed on and off, tangled in cotton sheets and sweating profusely despite only being clad in underwear. The air conditioner hums heavily obviously outdated and in need of repair, this irritates her, a high profile guest like her shouldn't have to deal with a faulty air conditioner. But then again everything seem to irritate her nowadays.

The rest of the apartment however is quite nice. She particularly likes the glass doors in her room that open up into a balcony that views the streets below, and the flimsy white curtains that provide sufficient privacy. They would look nice, she muses, swaying in a breeze, but in Suna, it feels as if the wind doesn't exist.

Padding across the carpeted floor, she dons her robe tying it securely and opens the glass folding doors, to a sky dusted with pink and the sound of a village awakening.

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Clad in a collared emerald green dress and boots, Sakura assess herself in the slightly misted mirror of the bathroom, she has attached a senbon holster to her thigh and wrapped the various customary bandages to her body, the shinobi attire she wore yesterday is drenched in sweat and besides she's teaching a medical nin-jutsu there's no need for combat clothes.

Still it is strange to walk out of the apartment, with a different purpose other than - destroy.

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It is purely coincidental that she meets Gaara, she is immersed in the profiles of the Sand Shinobi that have signed to take the course. Only two have perfect chakra control, from fifty candidates. She supposes she will have to phase them out and see which levels each of them will be able to reach.

Absentmindedly reaching for her coffee, she almost knocks it over, but a tanned hand smoothly steadied the cup, she follows the arm, clad in a burnt maroon material to the face of none other than the Kazekage.

She supposes she shouldn't have been surprised, firstly this was the only coffee shop she could find open at this early hour, secondly he probably liked coming here before starting his duties, it was empty, except for her and the owner - he seemed like a loner, and thirdly he probably got hungry as well.

"Kazekage-sama, thank you" Sakura said.

"No need for formalities Sakura-san" he replied.

She smiled slightly at his contradictory response.

"May I?" he gestured to the chair across her.

"Of course" she murmured. Finding it strange that he would ask, but nonetheless pleased. Gaara had a pleasant sort of quietness to him, which she found soothing.

"Are these the medical nin candidates" he questioned gesturing to the files stacked in front of her.

"Yes" she replied. "They are quite a lot interested, surprisingly, tell me what do you think of these two?" she said, gesturing to the files of the two shinobi she had been reading through"

"Well, may I get a cup of coffee first?"

She laughed, giving him a wide smile - it felt nice.

" Of course."

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It became her routine, to go to the coffee shop on the mornings she could. Sometimes Gaara would join her. They never talked about shinobi affairs, but oddly enough both of them always seemed to have some sort of file, or paperwork with them, it was on one of those days about one month into her stay, when she got up to buy a slice of pecan tart, that had just been placed in the confectionery display case, that she bumped, one Gaara's logs on the floor _**"Surveillance logs" **_he had said earlier. Apologizing, she knelt to pick it up, and she couldn't help giving the page it had fallen open on a cursory glance. Her eyes widened when it alighted on a familiar name. Quickly she glanced at the date on the top of the page, her mind roughly calculating the time. Snapping the book shut, she straightened not noticing the look of concern on Gaara's face. Her mind in absolute turmoil. Because according to these logs four months ago, _**Uchiha Sasuke **_had been spotted on the borders of the wind and fire country.

...

_**2 months later.**_

_**3 months into her stay Suna.**_

She played with the ring that hung around her neck, twirling it around her fingers, causing the slender, silver chain to twist together. She couldn't seem to put it back on her finger.

She was standing in her classroom of sorts - Suna's greenhouse. She had cleared a space at the back of the green house, a large oak table separated her and four of her students. She had chosen the greenhouse, because the regulated temperature was easier to bear than Suna's humidity. The lush greenery and rare plants cultivated inside the greenhouse created a lovely ambiance especially when the afternoon sun, strolled through illuminating the glass box in golden hues and she had to admit, she felt a bit closer to home with all the foliage.

She had phased the shinobi out, and put them into groups based on the highest level they were most likely to reach. In front of her stood the four most proficient. She watched as they clamored to make an antidote for the poison currently coursing through her veins, with the herbs she had presented them with.

"You have half and hour left" she announced. None of the antidotes they had made so far worked, there were a few impressive tries, but her time was running out.

"C"mon" she called. "Think of the main symptom I presented"

"Dehydration" on of them called.

"Good" she nodded, "Despite the fact that I'm ingesting water by the gallon" she indicated to the empty water bottles.

"The poisons affecting your ability to re absorb water"

"And...?" She prompted

"It means the permeability of your kidneys are been affected"

She smiled, at the only male member of their team.

"And what controls Kidney permeability?" She questioned.

"ADH, secreted by the hypothalmus" Jo-jin answered.

"The poison is affecting the secretion of ADH, you'll die of dehydration!" She exclaimed.

She smiled at the red haired girl.

"So...we develop a antidote, that increases the amount of ADH secreted, and forces the body to bring about homeostasis" Leela answered.

"Does that help?" She asked her students teasingly, but they were to busy hastily making another antidote, the right one, she hoped this time.

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Sakura was a nester, she got attached quickly, she fell in love easily, she cared too deeply and took loss to hard. She liked making a niche for herself where ever she went, a perfect example of this was her apartment in Suna. You would never have guessed she had only stayed there for three months, it looked like a cozy home that had been inhabited for years.

Lemony green, burnt orange and golden beige cushions were scattered on the cream couches. Her numerous pictures of friends, family and most importantly Team seven hang on the warm orange wall. A coat hanger was lost amidst the jumble of cloaks. Scarves and her medic-nin bag. The vase her class had bought her stood proudly on her kitchen counter. Kicking off her shoes, she put the takeout she had purchased in the warmer, and made her way to her room, she opened the glass doors, the sounds of outside infiltrating the silence, and the aromas of the night wafting through. She changed her summery dress, into a comfortable pair of shorts and t-shirt, tying her hair up.

On these nights, when she curled up on the couch, with unhealthy food, sake, and her copy of Icha Icha paradise - she couldn't help it - she didn't feel lonely, there was a content thrum to her body, and the ache that was Sasuke diminished for a while.

It was past midnight when she was awoken from her slumber, by sharp knocks on her door, annoyed and stiff because she had fallen asleep on the couch and slightly dizzy, she blinked hard to clear her clouded vision and stumbled her way to her door, grumbling slightly as she almost tripped over her shoes.

She wrenched the door open, ready to to tell whoever it was to piss off, but the words died in her mouth as she came face to face with two pairs of blue eyes, sparkling with ever present light and warmth and her own viridian orbs widened in turn.

"Naruto?"

"Ino?"

She exclaimed shock coating her words.

"Sup Forehead" the blonde greeted, a wide smile adorning her face.

"Sakura-chan!" exclaimed her loudmouth friend. " I missed you" he announced. Before they both pounced on her enveloping her in their arms and warmth, and Sakura thought back to another boy, on another night who had said the same words _**"I missed you"**_, and her hold on her friends tightened. Because they were here. _**They were here.**_ The two people who were her mini suns, who lit up her life, who were constant. Emotions soared through her and clogged up every pore, until she burst out crying, clinging onto two of her most important people.

Just letting go and at the same time holding on.

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_**Note:** Wow guys, the follows - 93. My amazing reviews which were all in depth and excited, I absolutely love you guys, I wanted to update immediately but...exams. So I know this chapter didn't have Sasuke - I'm sorry. He will be in the Next chapter, promise. I hope none of you are super dissapointed. This is a very filler-ish chapter. I apologize. Review again please. Also - smiley face contest, if you to lazy to type a review leave me a - :D. Just a reminder Sakura is still angry, but its more like an out of sight out of time thing and she's strong and can cope. Sasuke's return will set her emotions spiraling wait and see. Lastly check out one of the most amazing stories called: If I were you by Hellotaylin its gorgeous. Love hearing from you guys :D love you all. SasuSaku forever!_


	4. Chapter 4

**The In between.**

**Chapter4.**

_**By: RobinSparkelz**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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The spray of the shower creates a soft thrum in the background, she is in her kitchen stirring the pot which is filled with five boxes of instant ramen, Naruto sits on one of the barstools around her kitchen island, uncharacteristically quiet. She supposes he's worried, right after they - Ino and Naruto - had arrived at her doorstep, she had let go, a bit to much, it seemed, both the blondes had seemed shocked at her display of tears and in turn extremely concerned, but she had pulled herself together because she was _**strong Sakura**_ and set to make them a early morning dinner-breakfast meal of "Ramen, please Sakura-chan."

Ino, dusty and dirty from their two-day journey, "...like it would take us the full three-days to get here, as if forehead." Had claimed her shower.

"All done." She exclaimed, removing the pot from the stoves heat and bringing it to rest in the centre of her counter. "Smells great! Sakura-chan." Naruto spoke, but his voice lacked its usual zest, and his blue, _**blue**_ eyes sparkled with so much of care, and love and worry, that she couldn't help the way her heart swelled, walking over to him, she draped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him.

"I'm fine, Naruto, really I'm just super happy you here." She consoled, she put her best fake smile on, because bless his soul Naruto had always been gullible.

She heard the shower switch off, removing herself from Naruto, she ruffled his hair and tried not to think of Sasuke's soft ebony locks. She had just dished out a bowl of Ramen for herself and Naruto when Ino appeared dresses in a pair of her sweats and a blank tank top.

"Really pig, you forgot your clothes?" she commented with a raised eyebrow and a amused smile.

"More like I was to excited to see you, forehead." She huffed indignantly.

Sakura's smile turned soft, "Ramen?" she questioned.

"Oh, hell no, don't tell me you addicted to that shit to!"

That morning, Sakura went to sleep for an hour before she had to get up, it was the best sleep she had, had in months.

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She was staring, she knew she was, but she couldn't help it, she had come home from work, to find Naruto pacing up and down the length of the apartment, his expression a mix of excitement and nerves,

"Sakura-chan, I have to be honest with you, I came here because I have some..news."

Her first thought was Sasuke, had something happened to him, it would explain Naruto and Ino's sporadic appearance, while welcome she had been suspicious about their apparent random visit, but since they were both notorious blabber mouths and hadn't said anything she had shoved her suspicions away, but here Naruto was, gripping her shoulders and telling her that…

"Hinata and I are getting married."

She blinked again, a strange feeling passing through her at his words, _**loss?**_

" Sa-..Sakura-chan?"

"Oh my goodness, Naruto that is amazing." She gushed, enveloping him in a hug. Still confused about the way her stomach had dropped to her feet and the feeling of nausea that was creeping up on her.

It was only later that night when she had gone through an entire tub of ice-cream and numerous packs of sour gums with Ino- Naruto was out with Gaara- that she had realized she was jealous. "I'm_**jealous**_**,** Ino, of Naruto and Hinata, I'm jealous because I've waited as long as Hinata for the boy I loved and she gets to have hers for the rest of her life, while I sit and wait for Sasuke who is doing Kami knows what, with Kami knows who, I'm -… I'm pathetic Ino." She whispered.

That night, Ino rubbed her back and ran her fingers through her hair until she fell asleep with tear tracks on her face and a sore heart.

They left two weeks later, with sad smiles and heavy souls.

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Naruto's wedding was in exactly two months and three weeks, the same week she would be back in Konoha, before leaving for Kumo.

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Days in Suna blurred together afterwards, she worked with her medical-nin, had coffee with Gaara and went out clubbing with Temari, she heard nothing of Sasuke and if it wasn't for her engagement ring strung around her neck, she would have forgotten she was an engaged women. She was not oblivious to the way males, shinobi and civilians alike looked at her, the way their eyes lingered on her legs or the curve of her breasts, but she was oblivious to the fact that her natural charms had, had an effect on someone. She found out the extent of a certain Kazakage-sama's feelings to her the day before she planned on leaving Suna, she had been in his office, sipping on Lemonade and going through her final mission report when he had interrupted her.

"As you are aware, Sakura, I have been invited to Naruto's wedding." He began.

She nodded, trying not to let, the worry of Naruto's wedding show on her face, she'd only be arriving three days before the wedding date, and leaving two days later, time was tight and to top it all off she hadn't heard a word from Sasuke, she didn't know if he would make the wedding day and to be honest some part of her didn't want him to be there, it had been over a year and a half since she had last saw him, _**too long**_, but the other part of her, the part of her that loved him to a fault, wanted to see him, to feel him and touch him and kiss him again.

" …and I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my date."

The last part of his sentence broke Sakura out of her Sasuke filled thoughts. "I'm sorry, but what?" she exclaimed tactlessly.

Gaara's expression was nothing short of mortified, to late she realized the way her words had come out. "I am so sorry Gaara." She apologized quickly wanting to rectify her mistake, standing up she moved to stand in front of him.

"If you find the thought of accompanying me that repulsive I-"

"Not at all" she cut him off, placing her hands on his shoulders, a bold move she thought as she watched his gaze darken, and with a sinking feeling she realized the exact nature of Gaara's request.

"I-" she began, only to stop as her ears picked up a large commotion coming from outside his office, she frowned, removing her hands from his shoulders and turning around, as she heard more noise again, "What is that…" the rest of her sentence was drowned out by the sound of Gaara's office door slamming open.

A tall figure stood in the doorway, in dust covered boots and shinobi pants, broad shoulders covered in a loose navy shirt, a katana strapped to his back, and a canvas bag slung across one shoulder. Messy windblown ebony locks fell into sooty eyes, eyes that were locked onto her figure.

"…Sasuke.' She breathed.

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**Note:** _I know this chapter Is way overdue and I sincerely apologize to all my amazing readers, the follows are off the charts and my reviews are brilliant. To a reviewer – Mars who was confused about the timeline , I will post a Timeline at the end of the next chapter. Concerning chapter length, the story is not meant to be in depth so chapters will always be roughly this length. _

_Please Review, I promise to try my best to update soon. I love all you guys and happy B-lated Christmas and New years. The next chapter is very SasuSaku related, there will be no GaaSaku, Sakura is way to devoted to Sasuke. Check out my new story – Through the looking glass and leave prompts. :D_


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